Vol. 562 No. 1
319 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science if there is funding available to students for the access and foundation courses in GMIT, Castlebar, County Mayo, in view of the fact that there are 31 people doing these courses who have been told that there is no more funding available for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5224/03]
Under the terms of my Department's higher education grants schemes, an approved course means, inter alia, a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two years duration pursued in an approved third level institution. A one-year access foundation course is not an approved course for the purpose of considering eligibility under the schemes. Financial support is available to students in approved third level institutions through my Department's student assistance fund. The objective of the fund is to assist those students who might, due to financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies. However, the criteria for the fund confines eligibility to students participating on courses of not less than one-year duration leading to an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification.
